Acoustical panel having a honeycomb structure and method of making the same

Abstract

An acoustically absorbent porous panel with a layer constructed from a substantially continuous open-celled porous material comprising a cured foamed cementitious material including a first face and a second face. The first face has a surface with a substantially planar profile and the second face has a substantially geometric pattern of depressions formed therein comprising approximately 50% to approximately 90% of the layer by volume.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 662,189, filed Sep. 15, 2000, now abandoned which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60 / 157,269 and 60 / 157,301, each filed Oct. 1, 1999.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to the field of acoustic panels, and more particularly to acoustic panels having shaped surfaces for increasing acoustic absorbency.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The manufacture of wet-laid acoustical panels includes a wet process having separate dilute water streams of fiber, fillers and binder which are then mixed together to create a slurry. The fibers are either organic or inorganic. Usually the fibers are inorganic for fire resistance. A typical binder is starch. Fillers may include newsprint (which also acts as a binder), clay, and perlite. A typical panel wet-forming process involves the successive steps of depositing a wet slurry onto a conveyor screen, draining water from t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is an acoustically absorbent porous panel made from a cured foamed cementitious material. The panel has a layer with a first face and a second face. The second face has a geometric pattern of depressions formed therein comprising approximately 50% to approximately 90% of the layer by volume. The panel can be used to absorb sound and can be attached to a scrim material for added strength. The technical effect of this invention is an improved acoustical absorption panel that can be used in various applications such as in building materials, noise barriers, and soundproofing."

Problems solved by technology

However, there are many disadvantages associated with the use of fiberglass.

Disadvantages include the cost of the fiberglass relative to natural fibers, complexity and costs associated with manufacturing fiberglass acoustical panels with organic binders, health and environmental concerns associated with the use of organic solvents and organic binders in the manufacture of fiberglass acoustic panels, and the lack of strength associated with acoustic panels having inner cores comprised of fiberglass batts.

Unfortunately, wet-processed materials that exhibit sufficient stiffness and surface hardness are usually quite dense, have small and closed pores, and therefore do not display acceptable sound absorption characteristics.

Furthermore, wet-processed materials with highly acoustical absorbent properties are much less dense due to increased porosity, and therefore do not exhibit sufficient stiffness and surface hardness properties required for acoustic panel applications.

Additionally, since traditional wet-processing techniques require a vacuum drawn through a cross-section of the wet-laid material to remove water, a significant porosity size gradient arises through a cross-section of the panel, which further degrades the acoustic attenuation properties and strength of the finished panel.

Images